36 Writing Contests in August 2025 - No entry fees

This August there are three dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $20,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.

If you want to get a jump on next month's contests go to Free Contests. Many of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck! 

[Image: Grinter Sunflower Farm: Flickr]

_____________________

Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Delaware poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who have lived in Delaware for at least one year prior to application and who are not enrolled in a degree-granting program. Genres: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction. Prize: Established Professional Fellowships of $6,000 each and Emerging Artist Fellowships of $3,000 each. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Granum Foundation Prize helps U.S.-based writers complete substantive literary works—such as poetry books, essay or short story collections, novels, and memoirs—or to help launch these works. Additionally, a Granum Foundation Translation Prize will be awarded to support the completion of a work translated by a U.S.-based writer. Prize: One winner will receive $5,000; up to three finalists will be awarded $500 or more; $500 or more will be awarded to one writer working in translation. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Leeway Foundation Art and Change Grants. Restrictions: Open to women and trans artists in Greater Philadelphia to fund art for social change projects. People living in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia counties Delaware who are 18 years of age or older and who are not full-time students in a degree-granting arts program are eligible. Genre: Art in traditional or nontraditional modes, mediums or disciplines. Prize: $2500. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Epigram Books Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be Singaporean, Singaporean permanent resident or Singapore-born. Genre: A full-length, original and unpublished novel written in the English language. Prize: $20,000. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

NOMAD Review. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, visual art, industry specials, and criticism/reviews/interviews on theme "Fragility." Prize: $75. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Only Poems Poem of the Month. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Prize: $33. Deadline: August 7, 2025.

Oregon Literary Fellowships. Two fellowships (one $10,000 grant and one $3,500 grant) are reserved specifically for writers of color. There are also fellowships for women/gender-nonconforming writers as well as special fellowships for fiction writers who have lived in Oregon over the past 5 years. Deadline: August 8, 2025.

Literature Matters. Restrictions: UK residents. Genre: "Awards will be given to individual writers or other literary creators, recognising their past achievements and providing them with financial support to undertake a proposed new piece of writing or literary project. Launched as part of the RSL’s new Literature Matters programme, priority will be given to proposals which (a) will help connect with audiences or topics outside the usual reach of literature, and/or (b) will help generate public discussion about why literature matters." Award: £20,000. Deadline: August 8, 2025.

John Glassco Translation Prize. Sponsored by Literary Translators' Association of Canada. Restrictions: Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents only. Genre: The work submitted must be the translator's first published book-length translation into English or French. Prize: $1000. Deadline: August 8, 2025.

Peter Blazey Fellowship.  Restrictions: Applicants must either be an Australian citizen or have Australian residency. Genre: Non-fiction in the fields of autobiography, biography or life writing. Prize: $20,000, and a one-month writer-in-residency at The Australia Centre. Deadline: August 11, 2025.

Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English between  July 1, 2025, and September 30, 2025. Must  be nominated by publisher. Genre: Fiction. Full-length novel or collection of short stories published in English, either originally, or in translation. Prize: $100,000 to the winner and $10,000 to each of the finalists. Deadline: August 15, 2025.

53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: August 15, 2025. (Note: This is a monthly contest)

The Yale Drama Series. Genre: Full-length play, with a minimum of 65 pages. Prize: $10,000, publication of the manuscript by Yale University Press. Deadline: August 15, 2025.

Waterford Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of Ireland. Genre: Poem. Prize: First prize is €400 plus attendance at a designated writing course. Deadline: August 15, 2025.

Society of Classical Poets Haiku Competition. Genre: Haiku. Prize: $200. Deadline: August 15, 2025.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for one story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: August 15, 2025.

Forum Prize. Genre: Essay on the subject of: ‘Anniversaries’. To mark the 60th anniversary of Forum for Modern Language Studies, we are looking for bold, visionary and persuasive essays that use academic research to pursue innovative questions. The winning essay will be that judged by the panel to have best addressed the topic with flair, ambition and resonance.The topic may be addressed from the perspective of any of the literatures (including literary linguistics, translation and comparative literature approaches) normally covered by the journal: Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish." Prize: £500 and publication. Deadline: August 15, 2025. 

Ligonier Valley Writers. Genre: Flash fiction on theme;1000 words max. Prize: The first prize winner will receive $50, second prize $25, and third prize $15. Deadline: August 15, 2025.

Stone Canoe. Restrictions: Open to people who live or have lived in Upstate New York (not New York City). Genre: Poetry. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: August 18, 2025. (It is difficult to find this information on their website.) 

Pen and Quill. Restrictions: Only writers between ages 12 and 21 years can enter. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and other (which do not fit poetry or fiction, like nonfiction, experimental work, scripts). Theme: “Longing and Dreamscapes”. Prize: $200, $100, $50; $20 for a middle school standout. Deadline: August 21, 2025.

Write the World: Flash Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19.5. Genre: Flash fiction, 100 words max. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Deadline: August 25, 2025.

RSL V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize. Genre: Short story. Prize: £1,000. No-fee entries are available for the first 50 low-income UK writers. Deadline (for fee-free enries): August 28, 2025.

Women's Prize for Fiction. Genre: Published novel by a woman. Entrants must be writing in English and must be published in the UK between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. All subject matters and women of any age, from any nationality or country of residence are eligible. Prize: £30,000.00. Deadline: August 29, 2025.

Preservation Foundation Biographical Nonfiction Contest. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $250 in any single year. Genre: Biographical Nonfiction. Prize: First prize is $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Kindle Storyteller Award (UK). Restrictions: The prize is open to all authors who publish their book through Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon.co.uk. Genre: Book. Prize: £20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Mustapha Matura Award. Restrictions: The competition is open to any playwright of Caribbean or African descent, resident in the UK. Entrants must be 25 years or under at the time of submission. Genre: Stage play in English. Television, radio plays and film scripts will not be considered. Prize: £3,000 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry collection (in English), at least 48 pages long, published between July 1 of the previous year and June 30 of the deadline year by an upstate New York author. Prize: $2000. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

“Kusamakura” Haiku Competition. Genre: Haiku. Prize: (Grand Prize) to one winner : goods worthy of ￥20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Poetry Archive NOW! WordView. Genre: Poetry. "Make a video/film recording of yourself reading or reciting a single poem which you have written in 2025." Prize: £100. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing. Genre: Short story with an overall word-count of 1500 on theme: "Secrets." Prize: £100. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: August 31, 2025. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of a niche hobby or special interest. Your story must be no longer than 101 words. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation or Multi-Lingual Texts. Restrictions: Translators and authors of multi-lingual texts. Genres: Poetry and prose. Prize: $200. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Iowa Short Fiction and John Simmons Short Fiction Awards. Restrictions: Any writer who has not previously published a volume of prose fiction is eligible to enter the competition. Genre: Short story collection. The manuscript must be a collection of short stories in English of at least 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages. Prize: Publication by the University of Iowa Press, royalties. Deadline: August 31, 2025.

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." Genre: Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize: $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: August 31, 2025. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

33 Awesome Writing Conferences and Workshops in August 2025

This August there are more than two dozen writing conferences and workshops. Some conferences and workshops will be held online, but most will be held in person or use a hybrid format.

These writing events offer everything a writer might want: intensive workshops, pitch sessions with agents, how to market your books, discussions - there is something for everyone.

I have included conferences with deadlines that have already passed on this list to give you advance notice. If you miss an application deadline, put it on your calendar for next year. Quite a few conferences offer scholarships, so apply early. Plan ahead!

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences.

Be sure to check out Highlights list of workshops. They offer many throughout the year. 

(Image: Lake Sunapee: Flickr)

_____________________

First Friday Book Talk & Reading Series. August 1, 2025: Online. "First Friday Book Talk & Reading with Charlie Peck. Author of "World's Largest Ball of Paint." Online event.

Florida Authors and Publishers Association Annual Conference. August 1 - 2, 2025: Orlando, Florida. "Six (6) optional small-group workshops are being scheduled, offering attendees options a more intimate setting to learn about specific topics related to the publishing industry. These focused workshops will be offered a la carte and are scheduled so that you may register for up to three (3)."

Into the Springs Writers Workshop. August 1 - 3, 2025: Yellow Springs, OH. Into the Springs is a full weekend of shared sessions, events and lunch, making your interaction with featured guest instructors and writer participants easily accessible.

Northwestern University Summer Writers’ Conference. August 2, 2025: Online. The conference is hosted by the Northwestern University School of Professional Studies MA in Writing and MFA in Prose and Poetry programs. Will be held online.

Vermont College of Fine Arts Postgraduate Writers’ Conference. August 2 - 8, 2025: Montpelier, Vermont. The conference is designed for writers with graduate degrees or equivalent experience. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, craft classes, and individual consultations with faculty members. "At the heart of the Postgraduate Writers' Conference's unique model is the small workshop size, with groups led by acclaimed faculty limited to five or six writers. The intimate format allows for an extraordinarily in-depth, far-reaching discussion of participants’ work. Beyond the daily group sessions, each member has an individual consultation with the workshop instructor. The schedule also features a rich menu of readings by faculty and participants, craft talks, generative writing sessions and social events that galvanize our vibrant, inclusive community." 

Frost Place Poetry Seminar. August 3 - 7, 2025: Online. The Seminar schedule features a daily presentation/discussion exploring aspects of craft and technique, an afternoon workshop of participants’ poems or individual, virtual meetings with faculty, and an evening reading, some by faculty poets and others featuring participants. The application deadline is July 1, 2025. Will be held online.

Poetry, Memory, and Creative Flow: A Generative Two-Night Mini. August 5 - 7, 2025: Online. xplore the power of poetry to connect with your roots, ignite new ideas, and transform your writing in these two inspiring sessions with award-winning author Aida Salazar.

Poetry and Flowers: A workshop on beauty and resistance with Taneum Bambrick. August 5 - 28, 2025: Online. This course will indulge in excess, abstract, and exclamation–will celebrate flowery language. We will read Bryan Byrdlong’s Strange Flowers, excerpts from other works such as Benjamin Garcia’s Thrown in the Throat, and poems from many other writers that personify or in other ways consider flowers as vehicles for communicating pain, possibility, joy, and love. With weekly prompts, each student should leave with approximately three poems, all of which will receive feedback through peer review and from the instructor. Application deadline June 10.

Black Voices: An In-Community Retreat for Storytellers. August 7 - 10, 2025: Boyds Mills, PA. This 3-night/4-day retreat is designed to spark your creativity and foster connections with fellow storytellers. Join Valerie Bolling, Jas Hammonds, and fellow storytellers for this in-community retreat for Black writers and illustrators. With a loosely structured schedule, the Black Voices retreat allows you ample time and space to engage in writing, illustrating, or simply exploring. We will host a virtual Q & A with editor Sydnee Monday from Kokila Books.

3rd Annual Idlewild Writers Conference. August 8 - 9, 2025: Idlewild, MI. Two-day writers conference with readings, workshops, manuscript consultations and a book fair. Gary Copeland Lilley, Poet-in-Residence.

Don't you wonder sometimes…about sound and vision? — a fiction non-fiction freewrite event with Kate Copeland. August 9, 2025: Online. The gift of Sound & Vision…right what David Bowie showed us! And so many others…The Go-Go’s got the beat, Aretha sang of Respect for a Natural Woman. Adding to this: in motion pictures we see working girls and hidden figures, plus Thelma, Louise and Frida too. In this 90 minute workshop, we will look at the harmony between song, film, words and the brain hemispheres! The non-fiction part is composed of lyrical memory, linguistic film theory, and prosody in poetry and linguistics.

International Women's Writing Guild Workshops and Retreats. August 9 - 28, 2025: Mostly online. See website for individual workshops and dates.

Working Retreat: Novels in Verse. August 10 - 13, 2025: Boyds Mills, PA. Verse Novelists, Novelists, and Poets, join Rajani LaRocca and Chris Baron for time to create and connect. Ideal for those working on a verse novel at any level, even in the idea stage.

Elk River Writers Workshop. August 10 - 15, 2025: Chico Hot Springs, MT. The Elk River Writers Workshop embodies the idea that deep, communal experiences with the wild open the door to creativity. We bring together some of the most celebrated nature writers in the United States with students who are serious about fostering a connection with the environment in their writing. It all happens at Chico Hot Springs, a historic retreat just north of Yellowstone National Park. 

Murphy Writing of Stockton University: Live Free and Write. August 10 - 15, 2025: 

Sunapee, NH. "Combine an extended writing retreat with a relaxing summer vacation in the picturesque mountains of New Hampshire. This getaway blends our trademark challenging and supportive workshop experience with plenty of free time for you to write and bask in the refreshing New England summer." 

Odyssey Writing Workshop. August 11, 2025 (12 weeks): Online. Since its inception in 1996, Odyssey has become one of the most highly respected workshops for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Will be held online. Application deadline April 1.

Getting the Gig: A Two-Night Mini on Speaking Opportunities for Storytellers. August 12 - 14, 2025: Online. Whether you want to set up school visits, participate in literary festivals, and/or pitch your ideas to storyteller organizations, Alyssa Reynoso-Morris wants to help you “get the gig!" and "get paid!"

Multimedia Writing: Hybrid Prose/Poetry. August 13, 2025: Online. This virtual workshop will be an introduction to multimedia writing, a hybrid genre that refers to writing in which multiple types of media are used in evocative, resonant, and innovative ways. We will unpack multimedia approaches through a range of forms including cine-poetry and collage using exploratory questions such as: How can incorporating other forms of media / a variety of elements beyond text enhance the intended impact of a poem? What questions, tensions, and complications can help guide you through the multimedia, hybrid creative process? In this workshop we will engage with form-ranging projects from writers including Victoria Chang, Claudia Rankine, Jennifer S. Cheng, Eloisa Amezcua, and more. The workshop will also provide time to free write and share work, to talk about how the writing process felt/went, and to share resources as well as further recommended reading.

Nonfiction Retreat: Science, Nature, Biography, and More. August 13 - 16, 2025: Boyds Mills, PA.. If you have an idea or draft of a nonfiction project and need a little support to move your work ahead, this retreat is for you! You’ll enjoy presentations, guided outdoor experiences, small group discussions of your work, and so much more with nonfiction writers Miranda Paul, Heather L. Montgomery, and their guests. Waitlisted.

Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. August 13 - 23, 2025: Ripton, VT. Workshops in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction are at the core of the conference. Each faculty member conducts a workshop that meets for five two-hour sessions over the course of the 10 days. Groups are kept small to facilitate discussion, and all participants meet individually with their faculty leaders to elaborate on workshop comments. Faculty members also offer lectures on issues around literary writing and one-hour classes on specific aspects of the craft. Readings by the faculty, conference participants, and guests take place throughout the day and into the night. Participants meet with visiting editors, literary agents, and publishers who provide information and answer questions, individually or in small groups. Application deadline February 1.

Travel Writers & Photographers Conference. August 14 – 17, 2025: Corte Madera, Calif. Writing and photography workshops in the morning, a full afternoon of panels and discussions, and evening faculty presentations. There are optional, working field trips to explore the resources of the Bay Area. The faculty includes publishers, magazine editors, photographers, travel essayists, food writers, restaurateurs, guidebook writers, and more. 

Hurston/Wright Summer Writers Week. August 14 - 18, 2025: Rutgers. For more than 20 years, the Hurston/Wright Summer Writers Workshop has offered a safe space for Black writers in intensive workshop sessions and master classes. Workshops are led by award-winning writers who are influencing today’s literature. The program features critiques, craft talks, writing time and public readings. Hurston/Wright workshops serve emerging and experienced writers who are starting projects, developing projects or seeking to polish projects. More than a thousand writers have participated in workshops since the first session in 1996. See website for individual workshops.

The 2025 Online Chesapeake Writing Workshop. August 15-16, 2025: Online. This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited online “seats” at the event (200 total).

Poetry at the Frost Farm. August 15 - 17, 2025:  Derry, New Hampshire. The retreat offers workshops, readings, and one-on-one consultations for formalist poets. "Join a small community of people at the historic Robert Frost Farm learning, reading and writing formal poetry with contemporary award-winning poets. Choose your focus from a series of offerings designed to provide tools for beginning poets as well as perfect the mastery of published poets." 

Whole Novel Workshop: An In-Person Retreat for Novelists. August 17 - 22, 2025: Boyds Mills, PA. This intensive, transformative Whole Novel Workshop offers writers the rare opportunity to have the entire draft (up to 80,000 words) of a novel read by faculty, with detailed written feedback and two private consultations provided. Attention in an intimate setting makes this program one that guarantees significant progress in preparation for submission. Apply by June 3, 2025.

Big Picture Revision: A Two-Night Mini with Editor Harold Underdown. August 19 - 21, 2025: Online. Get a smart, strategic boost for your manuscript with Harold Underdown’s quick-hit course on 'big picture' revision techniques for children's writers.

Killer Nashville Writers’ Conference. August 21 - 24, 2025: Nashville, TN. The Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference was created in 2006 by author/filmmaker Clay Stafford in an effort to bring together forensic experts, writers, and fans of crime and thriller literature. "At the conference, we try diligently to ensure that the weekend has something for every writer and lover of literature, and our sessions are structured to assist writers on multiple career levels. Our learning tracks tackle the craft of writing, business of writing, marketing, and forensics. Killer Nashville features nine breakout sessions for intense smaller group interaction, an authors’ bar (free for hotel guests), a moonshine and wine tasting, free agent/editor roundtable pitch sessions, a mock crime scene designed by special agents and other law enforcement professionals, cocktail receptions, the Guest of Honor Dinner and Awards Banquet, film previews, live music performances and—of course—all the great activities one can enjoy in downtown Nashville."

Colrain Classic. August 22 - 25, 2025: Online. "The Colrain Manuscript Classic is a highly focused, 3.5 day conference designed for poets with manuscripts in progress. The Classic features in-depth pre-conference work and candid, realistic evaluation and feedback from nationally-known poets, editors and publishers. In preparation, participants work at home on pre-conference assignments and then, in the workshop, review, arrange, and winnow their work based on the pre-conference work. In addition to the manuscript preparation workshop and editor sessions, there will be an editorial Q&A, and an after-conference strategy session." Will be conducted online.

PJ Library Retreat: Picture Book Summer Camp. August 24 - 28, 2025: Boyds Mills, PA. "If you’re a pre-published author with a Jewish picture book in progress (or no more than one published book) we invite you to apply for five-days of inspiration, mentorship, fun, and creativity on the beautiful campus of the Highlights Foundation." Application deadline March 16.

DragonCon. August 28 - September 1, 2025: Atlanta, Ga. HUGE sci-fi event, with parade, autograph sessions, live performances, readings, wrestling (!), workshops on belly dancing, writing (yes, there's even some writing), art show. (This conference sounds really wild.)

Bear River Writers’ Conference. August 28 - September 1, 2025: Camp Michigania on Walloon Lake, near Petoskey, Michigan. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, discussions, nature walks, and time to write.

WriterCon. August 29  - September 1, 2025: Waterford, Oklahoma. The annual WriterCon Conference is three days of 60+ speakers providing more than 80 sessions designed to cover all genres and all aspects of the writing experience: skills, industry knowledge, opportunities, networking, pitching, contests, opportunities to meet with writers privately, to obtain manuscript reviews or private consultations, and much more.

The Gathering. August 30 - September 1, 2025. Workshops in poetry as well as readings. 2-hour Workshops & Readings Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday. Participant Open Mics Friday and Saturday night. Will be held on Zoom. 

96 Calls for Submissions in July 2025 - Paying markets

This July there are eight dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always, every genre, style, and form is wanted, from short stories to poetry to essays.

I post upcoming calls for submissions shortly before the first day of every month. But as I am collecting them, I post them on my page, Calls for Submissions. You can get a jump on next month's calls for submissions by checking that page periodically throughout the month. (I only post paying markets.)

Also see Paying Markets for hundreds of paying markets arranged by form and genre.

Happy submitting!

Note: I update this list continually throughout the month, so check back frequently for new submission calls.

(Image: Flickr)

____________________ 

Thema. Genre: Fiction, poetry, and art on theme: I Wish I'd Said That. Payment:  $10-$25 for short fiction and artwork, $10 for poetry. Deadline: July 1, 2025. Accepts reprints.

Podcastle. Genre: Fantasy podcast. Length: Up to 6,000 words. Payment: $0.06/word for original; $100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction reprints. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2025.

Okay Donkey. Genre: One flash fiction OR one poem per author, per submission period. See website for details. Payment: $20. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2025 and closes when cap is reached.

The Forge Literary Magazine. Genre: Prose. They prefer stories under 3,000 words but will consider up to 5,000 words. Payment: $100. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2025 Free submissions open on the 1st of each month and close when cap is reached.

The Paris Review. Genres: Poetry. Payment: Not specified. Deadline: Opens July 1, 2025, and closes when they reach capacity.

Headland. Genre: Short fiction and creative nonfiction. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

IHRAM Press: America's Slide Toward Authoritarianism Genre: Fiction, essays, poetry, art. "It is clear that the American political class has all the tensile strength of tissue paper in a summer storm, and that our court system is porous, offering a weak and possibly irrelevant backstop to what was once the strongest democracy in the world. So, as in all authoritarian states, it is left to the artists and creators to hold the line, to stand up for what is right and just, and to safeguard the republic. Only the creators have the courage to resist." Payment: $50. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

It Came from the Trailer Park. Genre: Horror/Comedy. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

Phi Kappa Phi Forum. Genre: Poetry. See theme. Payment: $4/ line. Deadline: July 2, 2025.

The Fabulist. Genre: Fantastical flash fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: July 2, 2025. Opens July 1.

Stone's Throw. Genre: Noir, dark fiction, crime short stories. Length: between 1,000 and 2,000 words. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 4, 2025. Note: This is a monthly call.

Notch. Genre: All genres–from operatic scores to tattoos to sonnets. See theme. Payment: Not specified.  Deadline: July 6, 2025.

Affirm Press Restrictions: They only accept Australians. Genre: All literary and genre fiction. For non-fiction, they are interested in most subjects that have an author or authors based in Australia, and only manuscripts that haven’t been previously published. They only accept submissions on the first Monday of each month and twice yearly on their children’s & teen list. Read their submission guidelines here. Deadline: July 6, 2025.

Daikaijuzine. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Payment: $10.00 for each short story, and $5.00 for each poem and flash fiction piece. Deadline: July 6, 2025.

Cosmic Horror Monthly. Genre: Weird and cosmic fiction under 5,000 words. Payment: 3 cents (USD) per word. Deadline: July 7, 2025.

Mslexia. Restrictions: Open to women. Genre: Fiction poetry, nonfiction. See theme. Payment: £30. Deadline: July 7, 2025.

Black Inc. Restrictions: Open to Australians. Genre: Full-length general, literary and commercial non-fiction – including history, current affairs, memoir and biography. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 7, 2025. This is a monthly call.

Vellum Mortis. Genre: Horror. Length: 1000 words max. See theme. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 10, 2025.

The Book of Jobs: An Anthology of Poems About Work. Genre: Poems about work. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 12, 2025.

Hub City Press. Genre: Single-narrative nonfiction books. "We are seeking new and extraordinary voices from the American South." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 13, 2025.

Solarpunk Magazine. Genre: Solarpunk. Payment: $0.08/word for fiction, $40/poem, and $75/essay, $100 for reprint cover art, $200 for original unpublished cover art, $50 for reprint interior art, $100 for original unpublished interior art  Deadline: July 14, 2025.

Inner Worlds Zine. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, or supernatural horror prose with a strong emotional or psychological focus. "We are mainly interested in fiction, but we’re open to speculative memoir or creative non fiction, as long as it has speculative elements.” Payment: £0.02 per word for each piece accepted, with a minimum £20 payment. Deadline: July 14, 2025 for members of marginalised groups only.

Mulberry. Genre: All creative media—from prose, flash, poetry, script, and comics, to film, music, visual art, dance, and everything in-between. Cross-genre, experimental, and hybrid work are always welcome, as well as excerpts of longer pieces. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 14, 2025.

Cast of Wonders. Genre: YA Speculative fiction. Podcast. See themes. Payment: $.08/word for original fiction up to 6,000 words. For reprints, a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction. Deadline: July 14, 2025.

The Orange & Bee. Genre: Original works of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction that engage in a significant way with the long history of fairy tales. Payment: Poetry: flat rate $US50.00 per poem; Flash fiction/non-fiction: flat rate $US80.00 per story (max 1000 words); Short fiction/non-fiction: $US0.08 per word (max 4000 words). Deadline: July 14, 2025.

Able Muse is a small literary press. They publish poetry and fiction. Most of the fiction they publish is short story collections. They have one free reading period every year, from May 1 through July 15. Read submission guidelines HERE. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Scuppernong. Genre: Hybrid memoir, as well as books on social justice issues in North Carolina. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

The Margins: Imagined Histories: A Folio for The Margins.  Restrictions: Open to Asian American and diasporic poets. Genre: Poems (ghazals, free verse, sonnets, prose poems, hybrid forms, all styles welcome) or visual art (think photo essays, maps, collages, drawings). Experimental and hybrid works are welcome as are traditional forms. Payment: $50 to $90 (USD) for original and translated poetry; the fee varies based on the number and length of poems. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Ink Nest Poetry. Genre: Poetry, fiction, art. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

If There's Anyone Left. Restrictions: Open to people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, members of marginalized genders, and disabled people. Genre: Speculative fiction. Length: 1000 words max. Payment: 8 cents/word. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

A Long House: Chronic. Genre: Poetry, nonfiction/essays, and hybrid work on chronic illness in all its forms—diagnosed, undiagnosed, physical, mental, visible, invisible. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Humans and Nature Press. Genre: Nonfiction, poetry, art. "We accept essays, book reviews, poems, and artwork, including comic art. Our readership is interested in discussions that bear, directly or indirectly, on the areas of conservation, evolutionary biology and ecology, environmental ethics, environmental philosophy, law, and policy, and the environmental humanities." Payment: $500. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Electric Spec. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: $20 per piece. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandmothers. Genre: Nonfiction. We view this book as a wonderful gift for grandmothers of all ages. And what makes this topic so much fun is that the moment a grandchild is born, a grandmother is born too! And what an amazing experience it is. Everyone has a great story about the unconditional love between grandmothers and their grandchildren. We are looking for heartwarming, insightful, and humorous stories celebrating grandmothers. Payment: $200. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Slugger. Genre: Horror. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Timber Ghost Press. Genre: Novels and novellas, including cosmic horror, weird horror, sci-fi/horror, gothic, and contemporary. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 15, 2025. Extended Period for authors who are BIPOC, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other marginalized communities

Sunlight Press. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and essays. Payment: $30 - $50. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: July 18, 2025.

The Shallot: Journal of Mental Health, Art, and Literature. Genre: Poetry, prose, art. See theme. Payment: $15 or a copy of the journal. Deadline: July 19, 2025.

Astrolabe. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and photography & art. Payment: $50. Deadline: July 20, 2025.

Seaside Gothic. Genre: Seaside gothic fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or a collection of photographs or illustrations. Payment: £0.01 per word. Deadline: July 20, 2025.

Diabolical Plots. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy and horror up to 3,500 words. Payment: 10 cents/word. Deadline: July 21, 2025.

Tractor Beam. Genre: Speculative fiction dedicated to soil punk. Payment: $1000. Deadline: July 21, 2025.

Satirical Strains. Restrictions: Open to those who have not yet published a book. Genre: Original works that contain attitudes of the satiric. Length: 40,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 22, 2025.

Mudroom. Genre: Poetry, fiction, essays, and essays in translation. Payment: $15. Deadline: July 25, 2025.

Stygian Lepus Magazine. Genre: Dark speculative fiction. Payment: $5. Deadline: July 25, 2025. This is a monthly call.

Flame Tree: Best Served Cold. Genre: Crime fiction. Theme: Revenge. Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word. Deadline: July 27, 2025.

Mythaxis. Genre: Speculative fiction. Payment: €0.01 per word, with a €20 minimum. Deadline: July 30, 2025.

Baubles From Bones. Genre: Science fiction and fantasy. Length: All stories must be between 1,000 to 8,000 words. Payment: $.01/word. Deadline: July 30, 2025.

Spoon Knife. Genre: Short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. See theme. Payment: $30. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

FIYAH. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to people of the African Diaspora. Genre: Speculative fiction, art, and poetry about African Diaspora. Length: Short fiction 2,000 – 7,000 words and novelettes up to 15,000 words. See theme. Payment: 8 cents/word per story or novelette. $50 per poem. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

long con. Restrictions: Canadian residents only. Genre: Prose and poetry about art. Payment: $20 CAD. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Elastic Magazine. Genre: Psychedelic art and literature. See theme. Payment: "Competitive rates." Deadline: July 31, 2025.

More Monsters Next Door. Genre: Horror, comedy, science fiction. Theme: Monsters in a mundane setting. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Ubwali Literary Magazine. Restrictions: Open to Zambian writers. Genre: Prose and visual art (including photography) Payment: $10. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Dragon Tomes. Genre: Ghost and cryptid stories up to 6,000 words. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Die Laughing. Genre: Funny horror. Payment: $10 for flash, $25 for shorts. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Polaris Poetry Series. Genre: Afrofuturistic poetry. Submissions should be a minimum of 65 pages of poems, with each new poem beginning on a new page. Payment: $1000 advance. Deadline: July 31, 2025. Closes when cap of 100 submissions is reached. 

Horror on the Range. Genre: Western horror. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

The Pink Hydra. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: Stories and poetry contributions under 5,500 words will receive $3, with longer stories receiving more, up to a maximum of $17. Deadline: July 31, 2025. Accepts reprints.

Redacted: What Divorced Women Aren't Telling You. Genre: Personal essays about the author's experience with divorce as well as shorter form stories. Payment: $125. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Ampersand Review. Restrictions: Open to Canadians. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, reviews. Payment: Poetry: $50 per poem/page to a maximum of $100. Fiction: $100 per story. Non-fiction: $100 per piece. Reviews: $100 per piece. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Flash Frog. Genre: Flash fiction ghost stories. 1,000 words max. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Short Story Substack accepts one short story every month. Genre: All genres. Word count 6,000 - 10,000 words. Payment: Base Pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Reprints accepted. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Flash Point Science Fiction. Genre: Speculative fiction stories from 100 to 1,000 words in length. "Send us your science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and everything in between, so long as it’s short." Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Pseudopod. Genre: Horror Anthologies and Collections of stories that have been or will be published in 2025. Payment: USD $0.08 per word for original fiction. USD $100 per story for reprint fiction. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

parABnormal. Genre: Nonfiction, poetry on the paranormal. "For us, this includes ghosts, spectres, haunts, various whisperers, and so forth. It also includes shapeshifters and creatures from various folklores." Payment: $25.00 for original stories, $7.00 for reprints.$6.00 for each poem. $20.00 for original articles, $6.00 for reprints. $7.00 for reviews and interviews. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Nonbinary Review. Genre: Speculative fiction, poetry, art. Theme: Solarpunk. Length: Up to 3,000 words for prose; up to 3 pages for poetry. Payment: $0.01/word for prose, $10 for poetry. $25 flat fee for visual art, or $50 for pieces chosen as cover art. Deadline: July 31, 2025. Accepts reprints.

The London Magazine. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Payment: Not specified. Only pays for their print publication. Deadline: July 31, 2025. Closes when cap is reached, so submit early in the month.

Worldsmyths: Dark Fantasy Short Stories. Genre: Dark Fantasy Short Stories. Payment: $25. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

THREE COUSINS PUBLISHING: Family, Fae, Fiend, Friend, and Foe. Genre: Speculative stories featuring a family with at least one type of supernatural family member. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Gaudy Boy. Restrictions: Authors of Asian heritage residing anywhere in the world. Genre: Full-length poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Payment: Advance of USD1,500. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

khōréō. Restrictions: Open to writers who identify as an immigrant or member of a diaspora in the broadest definitions of the terms. "This includes, but is not limited to, first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, persons who identify with one or more diaspora communities, persons who have been displaced or whose heritage has been erased due to colonialism/imperialism, transnational/transracial adoptees, and anyone whose heritage and history includes ‘here and elsewhere’. We especially encourage BIPOC creators who identify as the above to submit their work." Genre: Stories, art: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there’s a speculative element. Payment: 10 cents/word for fiction, and $100- $400 for art. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Dragon Soul Press: Terror Reigns. Genre: All horror stories are welcome. All genres accepted. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Bateman Books. Restrictions: The books they publish must have some connection to Aotearoa New Zealand, whether it’s theme, content, setting or author. Genre: A select range of high-quality books, specialising in illustrated non-fiction, commercial fiction and children’s/YA books. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Haven Speculative. Restrictions: Open to submissions by authors of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented groups. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Payment: 8¢ per word for fiction and $20 for poetry. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

The Marrow. Genre: Poetry written in, or translated into, English, from Australian and international poets. Payment: AU$40. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Only Poems. Genre: Poetry. "We love prose poems, traditional forms (ghazals, villanelles, sestinas), love poems, sex poems, and experimental questionnaires, but we are not married to a style or genre. We are welcoming of anything you think is your most exciting work. Ultimately, we want poems that move us or make us go: “God, I wish I had written this!” Payment: $77. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Clare Songbirds. Genre: Full-length poetry collections. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles, messages from heaven, angels. Genre: True stories about miracles, angels, messages from heaven, premonitions, amazing coincidences and other unexplainable but good events! Payment: $200. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Brink. Genre: Hybrid, cross-genre fiction, nonfiction poetry. See theme. Payment: $25 Poem; $50 Work (less than 1500 words); $50 Art (1-3 Images); $100 Art (4+ Images); $100 Work (more than 1501 words). Deadline: July 31, 2025.

New Myths. Genre: Speculative fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Payment: 3 cents/word with a minimum payment of $50 for all submissions, fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction and poetry; $50 for book reviews; $80 for art. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Flash Fiction Online. Genre: Speculative flash fiction. Payment: $100. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Gwyllion. Restrictions: Writers living in Wales and writers who identify (fully, in part, or by ancestry) as Welsh. Genre: Speculative fiction and poetry. Welsh themes. Payment: £15 per accepted story or poem. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

JMS Books. Genre: LGBTQ romance stories, 12,000 words minimum. See theme. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Inkd Publishing: Cthulu: Dreams. Genre: Horror. Incorporate the Lovecraftian theme as you will into your horror story. Word Limit: 2,000 to 7,000 words. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Taco Bell Quarterly. Genre: Short stories, non-fiction, prose, essays, poetry, art, comics, flash, films, "undefinable auras, experiments, and completely ordinary shit." "We are looking for innovative ways to lower the bar. We are looking for ways to degrade ourselves with flair. We are looking for universes that could be extremely traumatizing if the writers weren’t cowards. We are looking for ways to address the nightmares more directly." Payment: $150. Deadline: July 31, 2025. (Closes when cap is reached so submit early.)

Space and Time. Genre: Speculative fiction. "We welcome poetry, art and fiction that bend rules, transcend genre and break stereotypes." Submissions accepted in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French or Italian. See theme. Payment: 1 cent/word for prose, $5 for poetry. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

The Temz Review. Genre: Prose (fiction and creative non-fiction) up to 10,000 words long. Payment: $20. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Weird West Anthology. Genre: Western genre with a speculative bend. Wordcount: <1000 words. Payment: 2 cents/word. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Inner Worlds Zine. Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, or supernatural horror prose with a strong emotional or psychological focus. "We are mainly interested in fiction, but we’re open to speculative memoir or creative non fiction, as long as it has speculative elements.” Payment: £0.02 per word for each piece accepted, with a minimum £20 payment. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Anstruther Books. Genre: Poetry "that takes risks and represents a diverse cross-section of the Canadian literary community." Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Three Cousins Publishing: Family, Fae, Fiend, Friend, and Foe. Genre: Submissions must be speculative and feature a family with some type of supernatural family member or members. Vampires and fairies, gnomes and zombies, leprechauns, bigfeet, ghouls, and poltergeists are all welcome. Horror, humor, fantasy, science fiction, or even an entertaining, but bizarre mashup of genres that we haven’t considered.Stories must be between 4,000 and 5,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: July 31, 2025. 

Hashtag Press. Genre: Full-length children's and YA books. All books must be diverse or inclusive. Payment: Royalties. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Spook Hollow: Tales of Ozark Horror. Genre: Horror set in the Ozarks. Word Count: 3,000 to 6,000 words. Payment: $50 plus a contributor’s copy. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Fiction on the Web. Genre: Short stories. Length: 1,000-10,000 words. Payment: USD $15 / GBP £15 / EUR €15. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

AND A FEW MORE...

The First Line Journal. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction and poetry using the line provided. (See theme) Payment: $25-50 for fiction, $25 for nonfiction, $10 for poetry. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

BOA Editions — Blessing the Boats Selections. Genre: Book of poetry by Women of Color. Payment: $1500 + Publication. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Dark Waters. Genre: Dark fiction up to 7,000 words. See theme. Payment: Up to $25. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Fearmoji: Queer Emoji Horror. Genre: Adult queer horror. Word Count: 4000–7500. See theme. Payment: $25. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Burial Books: Science Fiction Short Stories. Genre: Science fiction short stories between 2000 and 8,000 words in length. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Burial Books: Sword and Sorcery Short Stories. Genre: Sword and sorcery fantasy short stories between 2000 and 8,000 words in length. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Howdy Dude. Genre: Western stories between 2,000 and 8,000 words. Payment: $10. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Last Girls Club. Genre: Feminist horror: short stories and poems - see themes. Payment: Fiction, 1.5 cents/word. Poetry, $10. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

Saddlebag Dispatches. Genre: Short stories, poetry, and non-fiction articles about the West. Payment: $10 - $20. Deadline: August 1, 2025.

58 Writing Contests in July 2025 - No entry fees

This July there are more than four dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $100,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.

If you want to get a jump on next month's contests go to Free Contests. Many of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck! 

(Image: Pickpik)

______________________

Embracing Our Differences Quotation Contest. Genre: An original quotation to accompany a piece of artwork. Length: 20 words max. Prize: $2000. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

Richard J. Margolis Award. Genre: Journalism. Prize is awarded annually to a promising new journalist or essayist whose work combines warmth, humor, wisdom and concern with social justice. Prize: $5,000 and one month of residency at Blue Mountain Center. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

ALCS Award for Educational Writers. Genre: The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) Educational Writers’ Award is awarded to an outstanding example of traditionally published non-fiction that stimulates and enhances learning. The total prize money is £2,000, shared between author and illustrator. The ALCS Educational Writers’ Award was established in 2008 by ALCS and the Society of Authors, “to celebrate educational writing that inspires creativity, encourages students to read widely and builds up their understanding of a subject beyond the requirements of exam specifications. Prize: £2,000.00. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

Kate Tufts Discovery Award. Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre: Poetry. Book must be author's first full-length book of poetry, published between between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. Self-published books are accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

BCLF Short Fiction Story Contest (BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize and BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean). Restrictions: All entrants must be of Caribbean heritage/of Caribbean descent or writers who were born/raised and holding nationality in the Caribbean. Genre: Unpublished short fiction (3000 words max). Prize: US$1750 for each contest. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards. Genre: Poetry. "The awards contest is an annual series of awards to encourage poets to explore and illuminate positive visions of peace and the human spirit." Prize: $200. Deadline: July 1, 2025. Free entry for poets age 12 and under.

Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre: Poetry. The work submitted must be a first book of poetry published between between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. Manuscripts, CDs, and chapbooks are not accepted. Prize: $100,000. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

Emmy Awards - Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award. Restrictions: Non-US citizens under the age of 30 only. Prize: $2,500, a trip to New York City, and an invitation to the International Emmy® Awards Gala in November. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative. Restrictions: Applicants must be professional writers based in the United States, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping address a short-term emergency situation. Prize: Grant, amount not specified. Deadline: July 1, 2025.

Mountain Book Competition. Genre: Mountain literature. Prize: Over $29,000 in cash is awarded annually with 8 awards selected by an international jury of writers, adventurers and editors. Deadline: July 3, 2025.

Hubert Butler Essay Prize. Restrictions: Open to European Union citizens aged 18+. Genre: Essay on theme ‘With narratives of conflict currently distorted by misinformation and the substitution of memory for history, what are the chances of reconciliation?’ 3,000 words max. Prize: First prize of €1,500 and two second prizes of €500. Deadline: July 4, 2025.

Col. Darron L. Wright Memorial Writing Awards. Restrictions: Open to U.S. military service members and veterans and their immediate families. Genre: Prose and poetry. Prize: $250, $150, and $100. Deadline: July 4, 2025.

The Republic of Letters. Genre: CNF (?)"Character identification week. You may well at some point in your life have had the experience of overly identifying with a fictional character in something you read or watched. Tell that story! — about how you thought you were Captain Nemo or Maid Marian or whatever it was." Prize: $50. Deadline: July 6, 2025.

HG Wells Short Story Competition. Genre: Short story on theme. See site. Length: 1,500 to 5,000 words. Prize: £1,000 and publication in the annual HG Wells Short Story Competition Anthology.  Deadline: July 8, 2025. No fee for writers under the age of 21. Those over 21 can enter for a fee.

The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism. Restrictions: Open to women and nonbinary journalists. Genre: Narrative Journalism. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: July 13, 2025.

Palette Poetry Free Challenge. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: July 13, 2025.

Stony Brook Short Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Only undergraduates enrolled full time in United States and Canadian universities and colleges are eligible. Genre: Fiction of no more than 7,500 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: July 14, 2025.

Women on the Ground: Reporting from Ukraine’s Unseen Frontlines. Restrictions: Open to women journalists. Genre: Reportage. This program supports journalists from local and regional outlets in the U.S., France and Germany in producing in-depth projects or underreported stories from Ukraine that will resonate with their respective home communities. Grant: $8000. Deadline: July 14, 2025. 

Boardman Tasker Prize. Restrictions: The prize will be awarded for a work first published or distributed in the United Kingdom between July 15, 2024 and July 15, 2025. Genre: Books with a mountain, not necessarily mountaineering, theme whether fiction, non-fiction, drama or poetry, written in the English language. Prize: £3,000.00. Deadline: July 14, 2025.

The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must have published no more than six pieces of writing in print or online prior to their submission. Genre: Review of a contemporary art exhibition. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: July 14, 2025. 

Donn Goodwin and Joseph Gahagen Poetry Prizes: Milwaukee Irish Fest. Genre: Poetry. Entries should have a culture/literary relation to either Ireland, Irish-America, or to Irish poetry. Prize: $100. Deadline: July 14, 2025.

Books Like Us. Genre: First novel. "The Simon & Schuster adult trade imprint is pleased to announce the fourth BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest to facilitate accessibility to underrepresented writers and celebrate the diversity of readers across the United States. As the nation continues to strive for progress, Simon & Schuster aims to help catalyze that change by amplifying voices that represent us, by publishing books like us. A two-week entry period will begin on June 30. At that time, writers are invited and encouraged to submit 25 pages of an original adult novel via the form on this page. The publisher welcomes inclusive, entertaining, and groundbreaking reads with expert pacing, depth, heart, and irresistible characters who leap from the page. At the end of the submission period, the editorial, marketing, and publicity teams at Simon & Schuster will review all submissions for originality, relevance to today’s publishing climate, and writing quality." Prize: In November 2025, the author of the selected novel will be awarded the opportunity to enter into a $50,000 book deal with Avid Reader Press." Deadline: July 14, 2025.

Iron Horse Prize. Genre: First book of collected prose. Prize: $1000, and the collection will be published in the summer of 2025 by Texas Tech University Press. Deadline: July 15, 2025. Free submissions on July 15 only.

Iron Horse Photofinish. Genre: Brief ekphrastic work that pushes beyond an absolute litera.l read of a photo prompt. "We're looking for work that recognizes what's hidden in the world we see, responding to the physical details that the picture offers or what emotion it conveys or both. We provide the photo on our website and social media platforms every mid-May. Responses should be no longer than 500 words for prose or 15 lines for poetry. Prize:  Winner receives $250. The finalists receive: $50. Deadline: July 15, 2025. Free submissions on July 15 only.

The Governor General’s Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written, translated or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Genre: Best English-language and the best French-language book will be chosen in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Children’s Literature (text), Children’s Literature (illustrated books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize: $25,000. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Apex: Weird West Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Flash fiction: Weird West theme. 1000 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Open to unpublished Australian residents aged 18 years or older. Genre: Fiction and narrative non-fiction, the first three chapters plus synopsis (max 20,000 words). Prize: $10,000 and a year’s mentorship with one of Hachette Australia’s publishers. The Guardian Australia will publish an extract of the first chapter of the winning work on its website. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Stone Canoe. Restrictions: Open to people who live or have lived in Upstate New York (not New York City). Genre: Fiction. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: July 15, 2025. (It is difficult to find this information on their website.) 

Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest. Genre: Poetry. Categories: #1 Traditional Sonnet – Shakespearean or Petrarchan; #2 Modern Sonnet. Prize: $50, 2nd Prize $30, 3rd Prize $20, three Honorable Mentions, three Special Recognitions. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Young Scots Writer of the Year Award. Restrictions: You must be aged 11–18 to enter as an individual. Genre: Stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing. "We want to see it all, as long as it's in Scots and under 2500 words or up to ten minutes." Prize: £100 book token. Deadline: July 16, 2025. 

Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for one story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: July 18, 2025.

FSG Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to emerging writers from an underrepresented community. US resident or citizen. Genre: Debut work  of poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. Submit work samples as part of the application: 8-12 pages for poetry, and 40-50 pages for prose. Work samples can include previously published work and need not be from a single selection of the work. Prize: Stipend of $15,000 and mentorship. Note: Farrar, Straus & Giroux is part of Macmillan. Deadline: July 18, 2025.

Lauren Brown Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to women and nonbinary journalists from underrepresented backgrounds. Journalists must be based in the U.S. Genre: Journalism. Prize: $2000. Deadline: July 20, 2025.

Black Voices in Children's Literature Writing Contest. Restrictions: The contest is open to Black authors who at the time of entry are at least 18 years of age and residing anywhere in the United States. Genre: Original children’s books for ages 0–4 (50–125 words) or for ages 4–8 (300–800 words) featuring authentic, realistic Black characters and culture and focusing on one or more of the following topics: character development, self-esteem, identity, diversity, getting along with others, engaging with family and community, or other topics related to positive childhood development. Religious and fantasy themes will not be considered. Prize: First Place: $1000. Second Place: $500 cash prize. Third Place: $250 cash prize. Deadline: July 22, 2025.

International Booker Prize. The International Booker Prize for fiction translated into English is awarded annually by the Booker Prize Foundation to the author of the best (in the opinion of the judges) eligible novel or collection of short stories. The work must be published by a UK or Ireland publishing house. Authors are not permitted to enter their own works. Prize: £50,000 divided equally between the author and the translator. There will be a prize of £2,000 each of the shortlisted titles divided equally between the author and the translator. Deadline: For books published between 1 May 2025 and 30 November 2025: All submission forms, physical copies, PDFs, and additional assets must be submitted by July 24, 2025.

"The Masks We Wear" Drabble Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction drabble on theme: The Masks We Wear. Prize: $0.08 per word. Deadline: July 24, 2025.

Faber Children’s: Faber and Andlyn BAME (FAB) Prize. Restrictions: Open to undiscovered BAME writers and illustrators; entrants must be of black, Asian or minority ethnic background, and UK- or Ireland-based. Genre: Text or artwork for children. Prize: £1,500 and £500 each for a writer and an illustrator. Deadline: July 25, 2025.

Reedsy. Genre: Story on theme: AI. Prize: $250. Deadline: July 25, 2025.

Diversity in Beer Writing Grant 2025. Genre: Nonfiction article about beer that explores areas of diversity and inclusion in beer. Prize: Chosen writers will receive payment of 50 cents per word for their work, up to $1,000. Deadline: July 26, 2025. 

Nakata Brophy Short Fiction Prize for Young Indigenous Writers. Restrictions: The prize is open to Indigenous Australian writers who are 35 years or younger at the closing date of the competition. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: First prize includes $5000, an optional writing residency at Trinity College, and publication of the successful piece in Overland. Deadline: July 27, 2025.

Write the World Competitions. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19.5. Genre: Sci-fi and Fantasy. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Deadline: July 28, 2025. (Note: This is a monthly contest.)

2025 BCSA Writing Competition. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction. See theme. Entries must deal with either (1) the links between Britain and the Czech and/or Slovak Republics, at any time in their history, or (2) society in those Republics since 1989. Entries should be in English and not more than 2,000 words long. Prize: First prize £400, second prize £150. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: July 31, 2025. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.

Dog Throat Journal Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Flash fiction. Length: 400-1,000 words. "We're looking for odd insightful work that doesn't conform to ordinary expectations." Prize: First place: $350; Second place: $100; Third place: $50. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Briefly Write. Genre: Poetry up to 10 lines. Prize: Total prize fund - £80. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Tanka Society of America Tanka Prose Contest. Genre: Tanka prose. Prize: $100 for first prize, $50 for second prize, and $25 for third prize, plus honorable mentions. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

SLF Diverse Writers and Diverse Worlds Grants. Restrictions: Open to writers from underrepresented and underprivileged groups, such as writers of color, women, queer writers, disabled writers, working-class writers, etc. -- those whose marginalized identities may present additional obstacles in the writing / publishing process. Genres: Book-length works (novels, collections of short stories) of speculative fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Berggruen Prize Essay Competition. Genre: Essay. "We are inviting essays that follow in the tradition of renowned thinkers such as Rousseau, Michel de Montaigne, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Submissions should present novel ideas and be clearly argued in compelling ways for intellectually serious readers." Prize: $50,000 USD for essays submitted in English and $50,000 USD for essays submitted in Chinese. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Blessing the Boats. Restrictions: Open to all women poets of color in the U.S., including poets who identify as cis, trans, and non-binary people who are comfortable in a space that centers on women’s experiences, regardless of citizenship and publication history. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscript. Prize: $2,500 honorarium and book publication by BOA Editions, Ltd. Deadline: July 31, 2025. 

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to young poets age 11 - 17. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Publication. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Polar Expressions Publications Short Story and Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Short story, poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

The Stephen Spender Prize. Restrictions: Open to UK or Irish citizens, or pupils at a British School overseas. Genre: Translated poetry from Portuguese to English. Prize: £50-£100. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

What’s Your Story? Restrictions: Open to Victorian residents. (Australia) Genre: Poetry, short stories, CNF. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers. Genre: An unpublished work of crime fiction, aimed at readers from children’s chapter books through adults. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

The Washburn Chapbook Prize. Restrictions: Open to women or non-binary writers. Genre: Chapbook exactly 10 poems long. Prize: $200 and publication of their micro chapbook online at Harbor Review. Deadline: July 31, 2025. Fees are waived for BIPOC identifying writers only.

Biopage. Genre: "Inspiring, uplifting, and heartwarming stories." Prizes: Up to $300. Deadline: July 31, 2025. Registration required.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme of Cheat Code. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: July 31, 2025.

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." Genre: Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize: $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: July 31, 2025. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.